


Brilliant Idiot

by Gothic_Lolita



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arc Reactor Angst, Arc Reactor Issues, Basically I Put Marvel Timeline In A Blender For This One, Canon Divergence - Iron Man 2, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Plot Of Iron Man 2 Happens Post-Avengers, Post-Avengers (2012), slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 14:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12368151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothic_Lolita/pseuds/Gothic_Lolita
Summary: Tony is dying because of a faulty arc reactor, but Steve refuses to let him give up.





	Brilliant Idiot

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, I took the only two good scenes from Iron Man 2, made them post-Avengers, done Stony style. And minus that atrociously awful fix-it scene with the Howard Stark video. I fucking hated that video. Fuck timelines, nothing from canon is canon here.

"I don't even know what's gotten into you!" Steve exclaimed, feeling exasperated. "I mean, you've always been reckless, but you're getting out of hand! That stunt you pulled with your birthday party, Pepper isn't even speaking to you, even Rhodey says this is too much for you. Look, Tony, you need to shape up and-"

"I'm dying."

Those two words stopped Steve dead in his tracks. His eyes widened in horror. "What?"

Tony set down the piece of his suit and looked up at Steve. "Do you know what palladium is?" Tony asked.

Steve blinked. "No? Where are you going with-" Seve tried to say.

Tony cut him off. "It's an element, the one that makes arc reactors work. It's also incredibly toxic and poisonous. The thing that's supposed to be keeping me alive is slowly killing me, and I'm in the final stretch, Steve." Tony sighed and slipped off his shirt, showing Steve the black lines that had engulfed his chest and were moving up his neck.

Steve stared at Tony. He didn't know what to think, his head was going too fast to process much of anything. He numbly reached out and ran his fingertips over the black lines. "Tony, I..." Steve said, but his words were strangled. "Is there... a cure, or something?"

"You think I haven't fucking  _ **looked**_?" Tony snapped, then closed his eyes and drew in a breath. "Look, I've tried everything. I've looked for something to negate the effects, a replacement, I've tried every damned element on the Periodic Table! I just, damnit Steve, I'm just coming to the acceptance that I'm dying, and I might as well enjoy what I've got left!" Tony shouted, throwing his arms into the air.

Steve wanted to say something heartfelt, to tell him not to give up, or to try to find a way to help him. Those were 'Steve' things to do. But he couldn't. His mind was going too fast, and he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed Tony's head and kissed him.

It was hard and sloppy, and Tony looked too stunned in place to react. When Steve pulled away, Tony was staring at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry," Steve whispered sincerely. "But, I... I was thinking that I couldn't let you die, without a chance to do that. I didn't want to lose you without telling you how much I loved you." He admitted. Steve refused to lose someone else he loved without telling them how much he loved them.

"Oh." Was Tony's strangled response. The billionaire's gaze dropped to his feet.

"So how do we fix this?" Steve said, changing the topic. Now he was over the shock, he was going to help Tony, no matter what it took.

"I told you, I tried everything." Tony sighed.

"Can't you... invent an element or something?" Steve asked pleadingly, with a vain attempt at saying something science-like.

Tony stared at Steve like he had grown a second head. "Steve, that's not how-" He stopped, then drew his eyebrows together. He had that very look in his eyes that he always got when he was deep in thought. Intense, and slightly crazed. "JARVIS, pull up the Periodic Table."

Steve watched as Tony started playing with holograms, pushing them around, modifying them, until he had one element expanded all around him. He turned around slowly, inspecting it, then shrinking it back down to size. "I'll be damned," Tony muttered, staring at the hologram between his fingertips and smiling.

" _The proposed element should serve as a viable replacement for palladium. Unfortunately, it is impossible to synthesize_." JARVIS said in his factual tone.

"Uhuh." Tony hummed, staring at the element. He stood up. "Get ready for a major remodel, Steve. We're back in hardware mode." He smiled and stood up, walking across the room.

  
Steve offered to help more than one, but Tony shushed him and continued working. Steve ended up sitting next to Dum-E, watching in fascination as Tony busted holes in the walls, floors, and ceiling. He only got up when Tony left to buy 'supplies', and he went straight to the kitchen to make some food. He made sure Tony was well fed during his workaholic haze.

  
The next day, Steve had a quick mission to handle, and unfortunately had to leave the working genius. He told Dum-E to watch Tony for him.

When Steve came back, still in uniform, he was a bit startled to see the shop in ever more disarray. Pieces of technology Steve had given up on trying to identify were all over, connected with long wires. A thick, black tubing took up a large chunk of the room, held up by everyday household objects, such as books stacked haphazardly on a motorcycle.

"You've been busy," Steve noted.

"Mhm." Tony hummed. Tony turned and faced him, then abruptly put down whatever he was holding. "That's it." He pointed to Steve's shield, still on Steve's arm. "Bring that to me. That's exactly what I need to make this work." Steve frowned, but brought his shield over to Tony and handed it to him. "Lift the coil." Steve blinked, but bent down and lifted it. "Go, go, put your knees into it. There we go," He set Steve's shield under the coil. "Drop it, drop it." Steve dropped the coil onto his own shield and watched Tony turn around and pick up an instrument, setting it on the coil. "Perfectly level." He hummed with satisfaction. "I'm busy, what do you want?"

"Just checking up on you." Steve smiled.

"I'm fine." Tony dismissed.

Steve sat back down next to Dum-E and went back to quietly watching.

After a few final adjustments, Tony seemed final just about ready. Rock music filled the room as Tony yanked off his shirt and the machines began to whir to life.

" _Initializing systematic accelerator_ ," JARVIS stated.

Tony jumped over to a crank, and tried to turn it, but couldn't make it budge. " _Approaching maximum power_ ," JARVIS warned. Steve was about to jump up and help Tony, but the man snatched up a wrench and finally got the wheel to start moving.

The entire machine rattled and whirred with a fierce intensity, and a blue beam of energy shot out. By turning the crank Tony slowly moved it across the room, blazing through everything the beam touched in the process. " _ **Whoops**_!" Tony shouted, not sounding at all actually concerned about the things he was destroying. The genius steadied himself and got the beam directly onto his target, then waited a few moments before turning the thing off.

Tony stared at the now glowing piece of metal, breathing hard. "That was easy." He muttered, and ducked under coils, over to the glowing thing. He tossed his glasses onto the table and carefully inspected the glowing triangle. Steve stood up, slowing walking over to him.

Tony pulled the glowing triangle out of its holder with tweezers. " _Congratulations, sir. You have created a new element_." JARVIS monotoned.

Tony carefully placed the triangle into an arc reactor and watched as it whirred to life. " _Sir, the reactor has accepted the modified core. I will begin running diagnostics._ "

"You did it." Steve grinned, grabbing Tony's shoulders.

"Well duh." Tony scoffed, but Steve could see the slight blush creeping across his cheeks. Steve was about to say something, properly address the afore kiss, but before he could, Tony picked up the new arc reactor. "Fuck it."

"Tony!" Steve said as he watched Tony take off his tank top and pull out his old arc reactor. He reached out to try to stop Tony.

"You wanna run some tests, run 'em," Tony said decidedly, and slammed the arc reactor into his chest.

" _Sir, we are unclear_ -" JARVIS tried to warn.

"I don't wanna hear it JARVIS," Tony said, voice firm. The arc reactor began to glow, brighter and brighter as Tony shook his head violently, making various noises and grunts as well as scrunching up his face. "Agh, that tastes like coconuts... and  _ **metal**_." He grunted deeply. "Ngh, oh wow,  _ **yeah**_!" He shouted. The glow got so bright Steve could barely see Tony behind it and had to shield his eyes.

Once the light subsided, Steve moved his hand away from his eyes to see Tony still all in one piece, panting. Tony shook his head like a dog, blinking rapidly. "Well, JARVIS? How goes those tests?" He asked, grinning.

Steve laughed, mostly out of pure relief. "You're a brilliant idiot."

Tony glanced at him, and there was that adorable blush again. "That's an oxymoron, Steve."

Steve couldn't help kissing him again. He really needed to do something about that. But this time, he distinctly felt Tony kissing back.  Steve's heart pounded in his chest. When he pulled away, he stared into Tony's mocha eyes. 

"Well, ah, hi," Tony whispered

Steve smiled, making Tony smile that gorgeous smile. "Hi." Steve cleared his throat. "Do you want to go on a date with me? This Friday?" He asked.

"You know Capsicle, I think you did this a bit backward. Date  _ **then**_  kiss." Tony scolded. "But yeah, Friday works for me."

Steve glared at him, but there was little heat to it. He dipped Tony for a classic, 40s style kiss. Their lips parted, and Steve was still holding Tony in the dip.

"You know, I don't think I've ever felt more feminine than now, and it disturbs me a bit that I don't have a problem with it." Tony hummed, a thoughtful look on his face.

"You're adorable, doll," Steve said.

"I lied, I definitely feel more feminine now. Still, don't have a problem with it." Tony said, then leaned forward to peck Steve on the lips.

Steve chuckled into the kiss. His gorgeous little brilliant idiot.

**Author's Note:**

> Steve and Tony are adorkable. I still love Stony, and I will forever ignore Civil War for Stony.


End file.
